The Elphinstone Institute Archives are folklore/tradition archives and are a repository for the diverse vernacular cultural expressions found in the North-East of Scotland. There are rougly 3500 items in the Archives, with the majority made up of audio and video recordings (roughly 6000 hours) as well as photo sets, and some manuscripts. The materials relate to calendar customs, song, instrumental music, craftwork, material culture, traditional narrative, everyday life, occupational narratives, vernacular architecture, and vernacular religion, and more.